A New Beginning
by Krinaia
Summary: A sequel to Dum Spiro, Spero. Draco is not permitted to die... but he won't go back with out Hermione. They get sent back. The catch? Hermione doesn't remember she was ever in love with him. Post-Hogwarts


Disclaimer: I don't own 'Harry Potter.' I mean, if I did, would I be writing a disclaimer? 

Author's Note: This is a sequel to DSS, and I will end it HAPPY. But read the author's note at the end, anyway.

Dedicated to: To all RH readers! Archangela (even though, you may not be), Vanessa, Anna, Krish, and Teresa.  Also dedicated to my cousin Willow, and to all DSS reviewers. Love you guys! 

Chapter One: Old Places, Old Friends 

Draco Malfoy looked around and found himself, strangely, walking along the halls at Hogwarts. _What am I doing here? He asked himself. _

It all looked the same, the dungeons, common room entrance, the Great Hall… except no people. Fires were flickering; lights were floating; the stars on the enchanted ceiling twinkled; the tables were full of food… like they always were, from when Hogwarts was first created, to when he was there, and even all those years after. 

He walked a little further, turning his head. The portraits were still, and no ghosts were walking around. The house flags were still there. Draco reached out, and touched the Slytherin banner, tracing the tongue of one of the snakes in the border. He walked  out, of the Great Hall, and suddenly, when he looked around, the room was flooded with people. Familiar faces reached out to him… it was his sixth year at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord wasn't that much of a threat back then. He scanned the Gryffindor table hungrily.

There she was… talking, laughing,… looking very much alive. The smile was wiped from his face, as a sixteen-year-old Hermione Granger suddenly faced him. She smiled and walked up to him.

_That was strange… he and Hermione only started dating seventh year. But, Draco didn't care. Hermione reached out a hand. As Draco reached out to take it… she disappeared, everyone vanished. Draco looked around in shock, and slowly lowered his outstretched hand. Draco walked to the doors that lead outside, but before he could… he was intercepted by none other than his old professor, Albus Dumbledore._

"Hello Mr. Malfoy. What exactly are you doing here?" the old wizard asked. Draco remembered the penetrating stare, warm smile and aura of gentleness that came from his former professor. It was familiarly comforting. "You are not supposed to be here," Dumbledore said, just as if he was admonishing a student.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Draco asked, bewildered. _What was going on? Even though he was slightly confused, Draco didn't panic. Hogwarts had always been comforting. _

He smiled, "No, Mr. Malfoy. I am not Professor Dumbledore. I am being who took this form because it was most comforting to you. Hogwarts is one of the places you have always felt safe, and Professor Dumbledore is also one of the people who make you feel secure," the being who looked like Dumbledore answered. "But answer my question, what _are you doing here?"_

"To be honest sir, I haven't the slightest idea," Draco replied, surprising even himself with his calmness.

The old wizard studied the young man. "You are here, even if it is not yet your time. You are still destined for greatness. I cannot allow you to walk past those doors," the Professor-Dumbledore-who was-not-Professor-Dumbledore said. "You must return," he said commandingly.

"Greatness?" Draco snorted. "Return? I have no more purpose in life. Why should I return?"

"Ahh, but you do Mr. Malfoy," the old man said knowingly. "There is a great deal more you can do… and there is also a lot of things that you have left behind," he said significantly.

"What have I left behind? My life was taken from me!" Draco said bitterly.

"You took your own life, Mr. Malfoy. Does that mean you will not return?"

"Bring me back, and I'll kill myself again, I had no more life when I killed myself. I was like a walking corpse."

"What makes you think you had no more life?"

"The woman I love is dead, and I did nothing to save her. If that isn't a reason not to go on living, I don't know what is,"

"But you simply must return!"

"If grief doesn't kill me, guilt will," Draco said quietly. "If you bring me back… I won't be able to do much anyway. The afternoon after she died, the pain and guilt was so great and… simply unbearable. I couldn't think of anything except the loss. I think this is one of those things that don't improve with time. I stayed away from her for years, and to me, she was dead. But when I saw her again... I mean when I saw her die… it was like she died all over again. I thought the pain couldn't get any worse, but when I saw her die…"

"You are referring to Ms. Granger, I believe?" Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore asked.

It was strange. This man acted and knew just like Dumbledore! It was impossible to believe it wasn't him. The man acted slightly clueless, as if he wanted you to tell him something that you knew, but that he already did.

"Yes," Draco answered hesitantly. 

The man smiled. "I know now what I must and will do," he said. "I will return you, _and Ms. Granger,"_

"What?" Draco asked, not daring to believe what this could be… what it could mean. Would Draco finally get his happy ending?

"I will return both you and Ms. Granger," he relied calmly.

"What's the catch?" Draco asked. He knew something this good came with a price. And besides… life had thrown Draco so many bad things that, he didn't think that life would stop throwing hardships his way. Life seemed to like keeping him in misery.

The man smiled, but refrained from explaing. "It was Ms. Granger's time, although it wasn't yours. However, your will is too strong, and I cannot change fate. I must have you return,"

"What will I have to do?" Draco asked.

The man merely maintained the serene smile, his clear blue eyes twinkling like they always did.  "Nothing," he said, finally answering the question.

"What?" Draco asked, bewildered. Was his future role that important that he was allowed this? There had to be a catch.

"I will return you…, and Ms. Granger. I will need nothing from you,"

Draco didn't breathe a sigh of relief, he was still suspicious. "That's it?"

"I said I would need nothing, didn't I?"

"_How are you going to bring me back?" Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. _

Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore gave a small smile. "You are very shrewd Mr. Malfoy. The catch _is in bringing you back. I will reverse time… so that Ms. Granger has not yet died, but to the point where you have just defeated Mr. Weasley and Ms. Fornier. Hermione Granger will not have been stabbed. Mr. Potter will transfer the magical force from Voldemort's orb into Ms. Granger,"_

"Aren't Voldemort's powers dark magic?"

"Magical force is not good or bad. It depends on what you do with it,"

"So that's it? That's how you bring me back?"

Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore sighed. "Yes. Except, when Ms. Granger wakes up, she will have no memory of ever loving you, she will remember everything else, but only know that you two were enemies, and then friends, after the war came,"

Draco's voice caught in his throat. "Will she ever remember me?" 

Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore smiled. "That is up to you, Mr. Malfoy. She will be able to… but if she does or not… it is up to you," he repeated.  

"Will she remember the Unnamed Curse?" 

"No, she will remember that she left because the pressure of the media was too great, that she could no longer do any work,"

"Will everyone else remember our relationship?"

Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore shook his head. "Only you will remember, everyone else will not know. All pictures and documents will be altered."

"Will Potter hate me?"

"No… you will have the relationship you have now," 

Draco nodded. "Then send me back," he said. 

Dumbledore-who-was-not-Dumbledore smiled. He stepped to the side, and pushed open the doors. Vaguely, he could see everything happening. Ron jumping in front of Harry… then Harry calling for Draco to battle Voldemort.

"Go,"  the man who looked like Dumbledore said.

Draco took a deep breath, and stepped through the doors.

***

Okay… how was that? Tell me if I shouldn't bother writing a sequel, and just leave Dum Spiro, Spero as it is. Because, personally, I like DSS as it is… well some chapters could use rewriting, but… basically I'm satisfied with it.


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